Crossroads, Omaha working on milestones to keep redevelopment on track
People around 72nd and Dodge eager to see more vertical construction at the empty site.
People around 72nd and Dodge eager to see more vertical construction at the empty site.
People around 72nd and Dodge eager to see more vertical construction at the empty site.
Crossroads developers could face consequences if they don't meet city deadlines. City council is now planning ways to hold developers accountable and on a timeline.
The site is empty and kicks up dust on windy days. A council member says some people may be getting through a fence at one of the city's most visible intersections.
"Looking at a dirt field for several years now is something I'm downright done with," Elmwood Park resident Joshua Gear said.
City council president Pete Festersen is proposing milestones and possibly financial consequences to keep redevelopment on track.
"Timeframes, phasing, some accountability and some commitments in terms of maintaining the site," Festersen said.
Woodbury Corporation agreed during Tuesday's city council meeting.
"We don't disagree and we'll work to accommodate that," director of development Josh Berger said.
Both sides will continue discussions in the coming months.
Woodbury Corporation now plans on three phases. The first builds housing, retail and entertainment space. Construction aims to start in 2025 with completion in 2027.
"We think that it will help create some inertia for the rest of the development to happen quickly," Berger said.
'We are well underway': Developers update Crossroads project construction. See the story here.
Plans to redevelop the mall stretch back to 2013. Today's conversations are being compared to a shopping center in Indianapolis that took about 18 years to complete.
"Much like Crossroads here, they went through a number of architects. It went through a number of developers. They went through a number of city administrations," councilmember Brinker Harding said.
The city still has its eyes set on bringing the area back to life, but officials are not overlooking the lack of progress.
Time will tell if accountability can kickstart construction.
"I'm excited for what can come but I request and urge oversite to ensure we're not looking at a dirt field for many more years to come," Gear said.
Woodbury Corporation still has to get final approval for its plans before construction can start as early as next year.